Post by streetmedic on Jul 17, 2008 5:37:26 GMT -8
Just read the following article at LATimes.com which discusses the recent city council decision to allow Los Angeles taxis to operate more like New York, eliminating many of the zone restrictions which will allow cabbies to more easily pick up customers by permitting cabs to stop in red zones and to double park in anti-gridlock areas such as Downtown and Hollywood.
The Los Angeles City Council unanimously approved a six-month test program Wednesday that will allow taxicabs to pick up fares at more places in downtown Los Angeles and Hollywood. Here's how downtown Councilwoman Jan Perry put it after the momentous vote: "Common sense has prevailed. Now we can hail a cab like they do in other cities."
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The new rules allow taxis to stop for or drop off customers in red zones and curb lanes that the city has designated as anti-gridlock zones -- as in, no parking there during rush hour. Cabs are also now allowed to double-park to pick up or drop off a client. The one place they're not allowed to go is bus stops -- something that has been a sticking point between the city and the Metropolitan Transportation Authority for the last few months.